Information Barrier

"War, is it..."

The wrinkles at the corners of Sarutobi's eyes seemed to sink imperceptibly for a moment. As someone who had personally experienced the three Great Ninja Wars, no one understood the weight of that word better than he did.

Moreover, the enemy they faced this time was fundamentally different from any war in history.

Past wars were like five landlords in a town squabbling over farmland; even if you lost, it just meant you had a bit less land and I had a bit more. If the death toll got too high and things became unbearable, it was time to call for a retreat, lick your wounds, and wait to cause trouble again... What's that? You say you're a son of a bitch who wants to wipe us all out? Do you really think I won't sneak a Tailed Beast into your heartland, let it go berserk, and drag you down with me? You'd see that even if I died, you'd be crippled, and who's to say the other families wouldn't seize the chance to finish you off?

Precisely because the five great powers, despite their differences in strength, lacked the ability to create a decisive gap, they could keep each other in check. As long as no single power emerged capable of swallowing the other four, that unspoken, tacit understanding would persist, no matter how bloody the conflicts became.

Oh, it wasn't as if such a situation hadn't occurred before. In the era when Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha dominated the sky like two suns, all other forces in the Ninja World were as docile as melted wax.

Even when Hashirama Senju engaged in the hooligan behavior of running into the territories of various ninja villages to snatch their Tailed Beast, only to distribute them back under the guise of being symbols of peace, no one dared to let out a peep. They were terrified that a wooden man might suddenly pop out and elbow them, or that a massive blue giant would start dancing in their village... I'm lying; even if you didn't peep, he'd still go there to dance. On this matter, the current Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, has a few words to say.

Therefore, there was a historical reason why everyone tended to target Konoha whenever they fought later on. It was purely because they had been suppressed for too long. If you didn't beat them until their heads were covered in bumps when the chance arose, how could you justify the humiliation and burden endured by your predecessors?

Fortunately, two suns could not share the same sky. As expected, once people gain something, they are bound to lose something else. One of those two suns was a simpleton, and the other was a lunatic. Not only did they fail to unify the Ninja World, they ended up killing each other. While the various villages wept with joy, shouting that the heavens had eyes and justice had prevailed, the situation gradually evolved into the current state of the Ninja World.

That is to say, although everyone disliked each other, when it came to fighting, aside from a few unlucky small nations suffering, none of the five great powers could finish off the others.

But this time, it was different.

In the past, whoever won or lost, the meat stayed in the same pot. But this time, a different pot had arrived. If they couldn't coexist, they could only smash the other side or be smashed themselves. It was survival or destruction; there was no middle ground!

A multitude of considerations flashed through his mind in an instant. Sarutobi took a deep breath, only to realize belatedly that his pipe wasn't in his mouth. He calmly picked it up, not immediately looking at the photos in the box, and said quietly:

"Is there no possibility of peaceful coexistence?"

"It's difficult."

Kakashi said solemnly, "The prerequisite for peace is communication and mutual understanding. But between us and the other world, there exists a phenomenon of an [Information Barrier]. Even though we know in our minds that they are speaking the same language, we cannot grasp the meaning. Even if we try to parse their text, all we see is a mess of garbled characters... This phenomenon doesn't seem man-made; it's more like an inexplicable [Natural Law]."

"After all, it is the meeting of two worlds..." Sarutobi paused, but unable to find a suitable word to describe the event, he could only laugh dryly and continue, "It would be more abnormal if inexplicable situations didn't arise."

"Yes." Kakashi nodded. "Although we can still use body language or even drawings to communicate, they are absolutely incapable of carrying the information density required for something on the level of [mutual understanding between two worlds]."

Speaking of this, Kakashi couldn't help but smile bitterly. "Even we in the Ninja World, who can understand each other's languages and scripts, haven't achieved peace in thousands of years. So the option of peaceful coexistence... is still too naive. These are also things Danzo said. He said that praying for peace is something children do; politicians cannot pray, and no matter what, they must be prepared for war."

"Not to mention that world has already destroyed another world," Kakashi thought to himself, looking at the box on the table.

"A chain of suspicion, then..."

Sarutobi let out a long sigh. How could he not know these things? Long before Kakashi returned, Danzo had already sent multiple letters in an urgent, fiercely worded tone. These included suggestions for implementing military management in the village, demanding more military funding from the Daimyo, and establishing an outpost at the rift, with Danzo himself serving as the commander-in-chief.

Sarutobi didn't even need to think about the last point to reject it. After all, Danzo's ambition was so obvious that only he thought he was hiding it well. Who among the passersby didn't know he wanted the seat under Sarutobi's own backside? If he were really given the military and political power of that outpost, he would absolutely use the safety of the village and the Ninja World to threaten and manipulate him, harboring enemies to ensure his own importance, and seizing the chance to demand all sorts of power, wealth, and talent. By then, the Root of Konoha would truly rise up to crush the tree above ground!

Should I find a way to stir up trouble between Jiraiya and Danzo and let Jiraiya beat him up once... Sarutobi thought inexplicably. He understood Danzo quite well. On the surface, he looked dark, and he thought of himself as dark, but in Sarutobi's view, Danzo was actually a white phosphorus personality that bloomed when given a little sunlight. Simply put, he was prone to self-intoxication. This time, he had clearly encountered a grand stage and immediately thought he was the protagonist, starting to perform all sorts of shows. At times like this, you just had to pour some cold water on him.

Of course, Sarutobi would never tell Kakashi about such things, and he hadn't dismissed the other suggestions in Danzo's letters entirely. He was just hesitating... In fact, the reason he hadn't opened the photos yet was also due to this. There were simply too many things he was hesitating about right now.

One move affects the whole situation—the lessons of the Land of Waves, the Uchiha, and Orochimaru's betrayal... had already taught him this many times.

Sarutobi wanted to sigh again, but Kakashi was still there. He couldn't show the weakness of a Hokage, so he smiled and said:

"Even if we must prepare for war with the worst-case scenario in mind, we shouldn't be overly pessimistic. The other side is not without weaknesses. Although their individual combat power is formidable, their methods are not as comprehensive as our ninjas, and aren't some of the enemies very afraid of water? We are not without a chance to fight."

"The Hokage is right..." Kakashi subconsciously moved his right hand, which was wrapped in bandages, and couldn't help but recall the man who could turn into magma... If he hadn't happened to use Water Style at that moment and discovered that weakness, he probably would have died within a few exchanges.

But even with that weakness, Kakashi remained pessimistic about the outcome should a war break out.

Because only by having been to that world and experiencing the strength and inhuman vitality of those guys could one truly understand the horror of the opposing world.

On their side, they were flesh and blood; a single stab from a kunai could kill them. But on the other side, even a low-level soldier could charge forward with a paper bomb against their bare skin. If they were blown away, it was nothing more than a blackened face or singed hair, and they would just crawl back up and keep charging... Charge your sister, are you all human-shaped Tailed Beasts?

There were too many things to complain about; even Kakashi couldn't help but curse to vent his inner shock.

Regardless, successfully sealing the rift and avoiding combat was the best policy.

Kakashi made up his mind. At the very least, he would do his best to convince the Hokage to adopt the suggestion of continuing to send more sealing teams and stationing them permanently at the rift.

Just then, the door to the Hokage's office was pushed open.

Two elders walked straight in. The man wore glasses, and the woman's hair was neatly tied in a bun. Both, without exception, wore stern, imposing faces.

"Homura, Koharu..."

Seeing that the two members of the advisory council had finally arrived, Sarutobi didn't waste words and went straight to today's main topic—yes, that's right, most of the previous conversation had just been idle chatter between the Hokage and his trusted subordinate.

"Kakashi," Sarutobi said, "introduce the general situation of that world to everyone, as well as your and Jiraiya's experiences there."

"Yes!"

Kakashi stood up.

Just as the Hokage's side was holding a serious meeting regarding the safety of Konoha and even the Ninja World, in another leisurely and comfortable Mingmiechi Residence.

Naruto finally woke up.

"...Aba aba?"